Conveying and distributing apparatus



Apr. 10, 1923.

S. SHAFER, JR

CONVEYING AND DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS r Filed Nov. 50, 1920 3 sheets-sheet 1 0 o KO I a Apr. 10, 1923. 1,451,308

' I S. SHAFER,.JR

CONVEYING AND DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS 16d Nov. 30, 1920 $.sheets-sheet 2 Apr. 10, 1922:.

S. SHAFER. JR

CONVEYING AND DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 50, 1920 Lea Patented Apr. 10, 1923.

TUNETE.

reice.

SAMUEL SHAFER, (in, or MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin, asers-Noe To CHAIN BELT COMPANY, or MILWAUKEE. wrsconsrn. ecoarcen'rron or Wisconsin.

CONVEYING- AND memeeemc. APPARATUS.

Application filed November 30, 1920. Serial No. 427,325.

T 0 a llwhomz't ma/y concern:

Be it known that I, SA UEL SHAFER, J12, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveying and Distributing Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to conveying and distributing apparatus such as is used in paving machines for conveying concrete from the mixing machine along a boom to the place where it is to be deposited. The invention, however, is not limited to conveying and distributing mechanisms of this type, being capable of application and adaptation to a wide variety of other uses. Patents #1,267,341 and 1,290,792, to Samuel Shafer, J12, assignor to Chain Belt Company, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, show apparatus similar in many of their features to that illustrated in the accompanying such patents for a fuller description of the details of the apparatus not herein particularly described.

Figs. 1 and 1 together illustrate, in side elevation, an apparatusembodying my invention applied to a concrete mixer, parts being broken away; Fig. 1 representing the end of the apparatus next to the concrete mixer, and Fig. l t-the other or outer end. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line II- II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevation, parts of the apparatus being in section, illustrating the mechanisms that control the movements of' the doors of the conveyor bucket.

Fig. 1 is aview similar to Fig. 8, showing the parts in different positions from those represented in said view. v 1

Referring to the drawings, 2 indicates a portion of a concrete mixing machine of the rotary drum type, and 3 framework located near the discharge end thereof, such framework including an upper rear extension 5 and a bracket 4. In this bracket is supported, so as to' freely turn about a vertical axis, a casting 6 serving as the support for, a boom 8 that is united thereto by a horizontal Divot 7. boom permits it to swing horizontally through a wide arc, as well as vertically, about the pivot 7. The boom is supported in extended position by means of a cable 9;

This method of supporting the.

passing from a winding drum 10, preferably supported on the boom, around a pulley. 11 mounted in a swinging housing 12, pivotally united with the upper-extension 5 o f the framework around a pulley l3n1ounted on the boom near its outer'end, and back to the housing 12 where, its'end is secured, The

. drum upon which one end of the cable 9 is wound may be rotated by suitable mecha nism, including a hand wheel 145, so that the cable serves notonly to support the b oin in an extended position, but also to ifrtically adjust it. A t t ll lounte'd upon the boom so as to be free to travel from end toend thereof is" a carriage or trolley 15 supporting abucket 16 that constitutes the conveying and distributing element of the apparatus. is united with the carriage 15by brackets 17. There are buttwo of these brackets, and they are preferably of angular construction so as to lit and. be respectively secured to the The bucket bucket at the er upper corners thereof.

Each bracket bifurcated at its upper end, having two arms, 18, 18', the former being, connected with the carriage near its outer end, while the latter curves upwardly and inwardly and is united with en ourage near its central lower portion. This method of supporting the bucket from the carriage leaves the middle and forward portions of the bucket unobstructed the connecting parts uniting it with the carriage so that material may be freely delivered from the.

mixer 2 through the spout 1 9, without interference from such brackets and without danger that they will become covered with concrete, as would eventually .be the case werethey injthe path. of the delivery of the material fromth'e'spout, or located in close proximity to that path.

Motion is imparted to'the carriage to cause it to traverse the boom by means ofa. cable 20. supported to extend the full length of the boom by pulleys 21, 22, the former at the inner end of the boom. mounted in the casting- 6 directly below the vertical beam pivot. and. the latter atthe outer end of the boom in an adjustable take-up frame 23. The cable 20 passes from the pulleys 21 upwe rd through the hollow bearing spindle of casting 6 to pulleys 24: in the u'l'ip 'er framework 5 and thence to winding 25. to which both ends of thec'able secured,

h y turning at area a arena formed in its edges in which lie ribs or ways 27v on the inner faces of the side frame pieces of the carriage 15, and on these ways the block is free to slide to an extent limited by the stops 28 at the ends of the. ways. It will be understood that when the cable is move ing in one direction the block slides, relatively to the carriage, along the ways 27 until arrested by one of the stops 28, after which further movement of the cable is transmitted, through the block to the carriage which is thereby caused tomove along the boom. hen the motion of the cable is reversed the block travels along the ways 2'? to the other end thereof where it is arrested, and thereupon motion is imparted to the carriage to move it in the opposite direction.

The cable is driven through the following train of mechanism: 29 designates the main countershaft of the concrete mixer. On this issecured a sprocket wheel 30 connected by a chain 31 with another sprocket wheel 32 free to rotate on the horizontal boom drive shaft 33. Secured to and rotating with the sprocket wheel 32 is a bevel pinion 34L. The

, bevel pinion 3% drives two bevel gears 35 which are loose on the main boom shaft 36. Secured fast to the bevel gears 35, being preferably integral therewith, are the driving parts of; two clutches 37. The shifting elements of these clutches are secured to the shaft 36 so as to rotate therewith, but are free to be shifted laterally therewith to' effect the connection of'one or the other of the gears 35 with the shaft, accordingly as the clutches are adjusted. This adjustment is secured through a clutch-shifting mechanism, the details of which need not be set out, beyond stating that it has an operating handle 38 conveniently located for manipulation.

The winding drum 25 of the cable 20 is secured to the shaft 36.

It will be seen that, through the train of mechanism just described. the main boom shaft36, andv the cable drum 25, thereon, maybe driven in onedirection or the other from the constantly rotating power shaft 29, accordingly as the clutch shifter mechanism 38 is adjusted, and that the rotation of the shaft causes one strand or the other of the cable to be wound on the drum, the other strand being at the same time let off, and that the movements at the cable cause the traversing of the carriage and bucket along the boom, all these movements being under the control of the operator. clutch shifting mechanism occupies a mid or neutral position'the shaft 36 .is disconnected from the source of power and the bucket traversing mechanism is at rest.

The bucket 16 is provided withbottom doors that may be locked in closing position to hold the load delivered to the bucket, and opened at will to discharge such load. The immediate means for opening, and closing and locking. the doors of the bucket are of well known construction. They include links 39 connecting the doors with a curved lock link 40, the upper end of which is'pivotally united with a crank arm atl. secured to a cross shaft &2 supported in the framework of the carriage 15. These parts are so con structed as to constitute a toggle lock for holding the bucket doors closed, the pivot uniting the lock link 40 and the arm 41 being arranged to cross the axial line of theshaft as the parts are moved from locking to unlocked positions, The shaft 4-2 is preferably provided with an operating hand lever 43 located at one side of the carriage.

Supported directly by the arm 41 is a contact roller 44, adapted to come into engagement, under conditions presently to be stated, with an adjustable stop 45 secured to the boom (see Fig. 1). j

The boom is represented as being formed of a pair of channel irons suitably spaced apart and placed with their channels opening outwardly or away from each other, the flanges of the channel. bars constituting tracks for the wheels 56 of the carriage. The stop 45 is secured to the inner face of the vertical web of one of the channel bars of the boom, in such position, relative to the top and bottom edges thereof, that it is in the path of the contact roller 44, as such roller is carried along the boom by themovements of the carriage 15, when the toggle locking devices for the doors of'the bucket (which include the said crank arm 41 carry .ing the roller) are in lockingor door-closing and holding position. lVhen, however, the parts of the locking devices are moved to the- When the positions they occupy when the doors are open. then the contact roller 44: is in such position that it will freely pass the stop without engaging therewith. It follows, therefore, that on the outward traverse of the carriage. the doors of the bucket being closed and locked, the contact roller eta enwith the stop 45 when that is reached, and such contact causes the door holding and locking parts to be moved to unlock the. doors, whereupon the weight of the load within the bucket causes them to open and the load is permitted to be discharged. By

changing the position of the stop 45, the place Where the load to be delivered traverse.

depending from the'boom andpomt ng rear- :be varied at-wil-l; On" the inner trave'rseof tact roller '44 passes-the stop 45, without e'i'igagement therewith.

46 ind'ca'tes a closing cam secured to the vboom near its inner end. It lies betweenpthe channel bars of the boom and in position to be engaged by ithe contact roller 44 as the carriage approaches the inner end of its This cam is in the, form ota finger wardly 'or toward the free end of the boom. The upper face of the finger constitutes an operating cam and along this the roller 44 rides, and by it such roller is lifted the carriage approaches the inner end oi the boom. The lifting of the rollerby this :Qam operates to rockthe crank arm 41-, whic hin turn lifts the lock lever 40 and the-links 39,

and closes the doors, the; parts finally being brought to their door-locking positions at about the time the carriage reaches-the inner end of the boom, where i't-is arrested by the boom end stop 47.

Pivotally connected with the knock-off block 26 is a latch 48. This is weighted, as

at 49, so that it is normally held in asub-v stantially horizontal position as represented in Fig. 3, with its end or noseextending beyond the knock-off block to therear, in which position it is locked or rigid against ,any horizontal force that may oppose it.

From the latch extends a lug in position to be engaged bythe lifting cam46, as the; carriage approaches the inner limit of its movement. The end of the latch is normally'in positionto engagewith the arm 41 adjacent tothe pivot that unites itwith the lock link40 upon the knock-oil? b-lockbei-ng moved toward the rear along the ways 27.

traverse. by spring 52 in order to lessen the shock that would occur werea rigid stop employed. 1

51 indicates the front boom stop withv which the carriage comes into engagement as it approaches the limit o-tits outward This stop is yielding, being backed The operation of the apparatusnis as follows: Supposing the parts arelin the position represented in Fig. 1, that is "to say the carriage is at the rear end of the boonn.

where it has been arrested bythe stop47,

"and the knock-oh? block is 'at'th' rear endof the Ways 27, and the buckethas.benm filled from the-mixer through the delivery spout l9 The operator by the proper. movement of-the clutch shifting lever 38;, 'n'ow "so connects the winding dfuin 25 with "the power shaft that the (table 20 is moved in a directiOil it) cause. (he fiav ei's bf the, car rifag'e 'blickt. Attire llldli l i lt thi-iiiovemn t egins the cantata roller 4.4 and the i'u v5e are in engagement with 'th' fc'ain 4e, hit-nun, alt-oi cantata therewith i 'as'f'the preceding 4 newsreader the teenage wtoward them-ixer'2 was completed. The engagement of the roller 44 with the cam o'pcrate-d; as has been explained, to close the doors 'and bring the toggle locking mechanism 't'hereof into position to hold the doors closed "and locked; The engagement of the lug-r50 with the cam tilted the latch 48 into the position represented in Fig. 4., By reference to this View it will be seen that when the latch occupies the position just referred to, it is out of the path of the crank arm41. as it moved from'the position it occupied when the doors were open, as'represented in Fig. 8- to the door closing and locking positionrepresentedin 4, thus permit- ,tin-g closingl of the doors without interfermice from the latch.v The-cable 20 having hee'n started, the knock-off block 26 secured thereto slides along the ways 27 until arrested by the forward stop 28, when its motion is communicated to thecar'riage which travels along the boom to the place where the load within the bucket is to be discharged; This place is determined by the location of the stop 45. ,When this stop is reached by the carriage the contact roller 7 yai iii heap, which takes place when the bucket is discharged while the carriage is-at rest. The bucket being thus discharged the carriage is broughttorest either by coming into engagement with the spring stop '51, or by cutting off connection of the cable 20 with the sourcepf power before engagen'ient with the stop takes places. It isof decided advantage in the practical operation of the a paratus to discharge and distribute the rloadbefore the outer traverse of the carriage isfstopp'ed, as the weight of the load to be arrestedis thus very much lessened and shocks and strains to the apparatus are correspondingly reduced. p The operator now reverses the clutch shifter and the-inward I traverseof the carriage begins, the towel;- ofi' block;sliding, Within the frame of the carriage,- to its rearmost position before it communicates rearward motion topthe cariiage. Upon approaching the inner end of 'the boo'm the lug-500i thelatch 48, and the successively into engagement with the cam .46, movingthe latch 48 outof the'way of aitn-4 1 and closing the doors of the v 1511., at, as has been explained.

fete-en it ;be idesired; m1; "chiseharge; the

Contact roller 44 of-thecrank arm 41, come r bucket before the stop 45 is reached, the directionof the cable is reversed, and this causes the'knock-off block to slide on its track within the carriage frame. During this sliding movement the latch 48 carried by the knock-off block engages with the arm a 41 of the locking'mechanism for the doors and throws it over center, whereupon the weight of the material within the bucket forces open the doors andthe load is discharged.

By the arrangement shown the apparatus can be made to discharge the product of the mixer at a determined distance therefrom,

' by properly locating the stop 45; but-should it be desirable to discharge any one or more loads of the bucket at a point or points between the mixer and that determined by the stop 45, "this can be done, at the'will of the operator, by means of the latch 4=8, as has been'described.

By arranging the lifting cam, and-the parts that engage therewith as described, that is, all inside the space bounded laterally by the frame pieces of the carriage, a very strong and compact mechanism. is produced and one that is well protected from damage through accident, as well as from splashing concrete. 1

VVhat- I claim is 1. In a conveying and distributing apparatus, the combination with atrack, and a discharging conveyor supported on" the track, of means for causing the traverse of the conveyor backard and forward along the track, means for causing the automatic discharge of the conveyor when the desired place of discharge is reached, and-means adapted to be controlled by the mechanism that causes the traverse of the conveyor, for effecting the discharge of the conveyor at the will of the operator at any desired place;

2. In a conveying and distributing apparatus, the combination with a track and a conveyor supported on thetrack and provided with doors by which its discharge may be controlled, of means for causing the means controlled by the mechanism that through the operation of the traversing mechanlsm. v v

3. Ina conveying and distributmg apparatus, the combination with a track and a conveyor supported on the track and pro vided with, doors by which its discharge may be controlled, of means for causing the traverse of the conveyor backward and forward along the track, means for closing and locking the doors, an adjustable stop adapted to be fixed along the track. at the place wherethe distribution of the load ofthe conveyor is desired and arranged to cause the automatic unlocking of the doors of the conveyor as the conveyor is moved past the stop, and means for releasingvthe doors to permit them to open, connected with the traversing mechanism and arranged to be brought into operation upon reversing the direction of the conveyor-traversing means from anoutward to an inward movement. I

4. In a conveying and distributing apparatus, thecombination'of a conveyor receptacle, means for causing the traverse of the receptacle back andforth along a trackway,'

the end ofthe' traverse of the receptacle for moving the latch to positionto permit the door to be closed and its holding means'to be moved to locking position.

5. In a conveying and distributing apparatus, the combination of a carriage having side frame pieces carrying the Wheels there of, a conveyor bucket suspended therefrom, doors for controlling the discharge of the bucket, locking mechanism for holding the doorsclosed, including an arm p'ivotally supported in the carriage and located be tween the side frame pieces thereof and carrying a contact, means for operating the door-locking mechanism to permit a discharge of the bucket, and a cam located in a plane between the side frame pieces of the carriage and in position to engage with the contact of the said plvoted arm to move the lattertoclose the doors of the bucket. traverse or" the conveyor backward and for- 6. In a conveying and distributing apparatus, the combination of acarriage, a con veyor bucket suspended therefrom, a cable for causing the traverse of the carriage back and forth along a track, a knock-off block secured to the cable through which motion is communicated from the-cable to the carriage, having a limited movement relative to the carriage,do0r's for controlling the discharge of the bucket, a locking mechanism for holding the doors closed, includ ing an arm pivotally' supported in the carriage, acontact projection carried directly by-the said arnnana'djustable stop'adapted f to befixed in position to be. engaged by the said contact on the outward traverse of the a fect release at the t ara doors, and the discharge of the load, a pivoted latch carried by the knock-ofi .block and arranged 'to engage with and ed to travel along an overhead track, having side frame pieces, a conveyor bucket suspended from the carriage and a pair of brackets uniting the bucket'with the carria'ge, the brackets being connected With the bucket near its upper edge and at one end thereof and being bifurcated and di verging the two arms being connected With the side frame pieces of the carriage, Whereby the bucket is securely suspended from the carriage from one end only, leaving the other end unobstructed.-

SAMUEL SHAFER, JR. 

